Fluid pressure valve



Jan. 18, 1949. E. A. ROCKWELL 2,459,456

FLUID PRESSURE VALVE Original Filed June 4, 1943 I l 96 7 4& 9a

IN VENTOR EDWIED 4. Roam 14 avg $1M;

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 18, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1944, Serial No. 529,866

My invention relates particularly to valves designed to control the delivery of fluids under pressure and which are controlled by the application of another pressure.

This application is a divisional of my copending application Ser. No. 489,713, filed June 4, 1943, upon Locomotive reverse gear mechanism.

The object of my invention is to provide a fluid pressure valve of an advantageous character, and which may control the delivery of fluids under pressure by the application of another fluid pressure thereto. Another object is to provide a valve of this character which has an inlet valve for the pressur fluid located on a movable means which is balanced both as to the inlet of the pressure fluid as well as the effects of pressure fluid delivered by the valve. A further object is to provide a valve of this character in which the inlet valve is carried on a sleeve located around a plunger provided with an exhaust valve so that one or more seals may be placed under compression between the sleeve and plunger. Another object is to provide a new type of quick-acting modulator valve in connection with locomotive reverse gears, etc. Again, another object is to provide a valve mechanism for this purpose which saves compressed air or steam. Further objects of my invention will appear from the detailed description of the same hereinafter.

As to the valve structure, this is a continuation in part of my copending application Ser. No. 387,896, filed June 13, 1941, upon Travel control actuating apparatus, Patent No. 2,372,014, granted March 30, 1945.

While my invention is capable of embodiment in many different forms, for the purpose of illustration I have shown only one form thereof in the accompanying drawings in which the figure is a horizontal section showing the details of the modulator valve therein.

In the drawing, I have shown a pipe 58 which communicates with a plunger chamber 60. having an air bleeder screw 6|, upon the removal of which the accumulated air can be allowed to escape. The chamber 60 is provided with a valve plunger 82 operating in the chamber 60 having a rubber seal 83 supported on a headed screw 64 attached to the plunger 82. Said plunger 82 is carried by a cap 65 attached by screws 88 to a valve casing 81. The plunger 82, furthermore, has a head 68 provided with a flat valve seat 68 located in an annular chamber 18 communicating with an air exhaust port 11. The said head 68, furthermore, cooperates with a valve element 12 on a valve member 18 having on its end a stem Divided and this application April 6,

10 Claims. (Cl. 121-465) a 2 14 provided with an adjusting nut 15 which is adjacent to a washer 16 and a seal 11 seating on a plunger sleeve 18, which slides in the casing 61, having a seal 18 on the valve member 13 adjacent to a flange on the end or said valve member 13:

The seal 11 seals the plunger sleeve 18 within a cap 8| connected by screws 82 to the valve casing 61. Within the said cap 8| there is a chamber 83 carrying a coil spring 84 for normally forcing the valve member 13 towards the left, and a vent is located in the cap 8| communicating with the outer air.

Compressed air or steam is admitted from an suitable supply pipe 88 to an inlet port 88 in the valve casing 61. The compressed air entering the port 88 is received in an annular chamber 82 in the periphery of the plunger sleeve 18 and adjacent to this chamber 82 the plunger sleeve 13 has a conical valve 83 adapted to seat on a valve 84 on the interior of the valve casing 61. When the valve 83, 84 is unseated by pressure from the plunger 62 the compressed air enters the annular chamber 82 and passes through ports 86 in the plunger sleeve 18 whence it is delivered by an outlet port 81 to an air cylinder (not shown). The

exhaust air is released by passing through ports llll into a central chamber I02, thence to the chamber 10 and finally to the exhaust port 1|.

In the operation of the valve made in accordance with my invention, the master cylinder (not shown) will be operated, forcing the liquid through the pipe 48 into the passageway 51 and pipe 58 to the plunger chamber 60. The first action of the liquid received from the pipe 58 will be to move the plunger 62 downwardly so as to close the valve head 68 against the-plunger valve 12 so as to close the exhaust valve and prevent the exit of exhaust air through the port 1|. Continued downward movement of the plunger 82 will unseat the inlet valve 83, 84 as far as desired to permit the compressed air admitted by the inlet port 88 to be delivered to the chamber 85 and thence to the delivery port 81. It will be noted that, even when the valve 83, 84 is opened, be-

cause of the chamber 82 the inlet valve 83, 84 is balanced in both directions as to the inlet pressures exerted within the chamber 82 and that because of the chamber 85 the valve 83, 84 and the plunger sleeve 18 have balancing areas tending to exert opposing pressures thereon in both directions as to the fluid pressure delivered through the delivery passageway 81. Also, when the valve 83, 84 is opened the internal upwardly pressed area acting on the unit 13, 18 has approximately the same diameter as the internal downwardly 3 pressed area acting on the unit ll, ll. There is. of course, when the valve 93, 94 is open, a downwardly directed manual force exerted on the plunger 68 but the hydraulic pressure forces acting on the unit I3, 18 balance each other substantially as above pointed out, although the internal upwardly pressed area on the upper part of the sleeve 18 may be slightly larger than the internal downwardly pressed area on said sleeve 18. The exhaust of the delivered pressures can take place through the openings 96 and till by means of the passageway I02 through the valve 59, I2 and thence to the discharge port 1|. Furthermore, it will be noted that the seals 1'! and 19 can be placed under compression by the nut 15 being turned adjustably on the end of the screwthreaded stem 14 to tighten the seals within the cylinders in which they are carried. The plunger valve 69, 12 will thus be closed, after which the valve member 13 unseats the valve 93, 94, thus admitting compressed air from the port 89 into the chamber 95 and thence through the port 91. It will be noted, furthermore, that whenever the valve 93, 94 is being operated there is a slight feel" exerted on the manual operating means through the plunger 62. This is owing to the fact that due to the plunger areas there is a slightly greater force exerted upwardly on the plunger in the valve casing 6'! than downwardly on the plunger in the cap 8| This arrangement also has the advantage of permitting the large valve at 94 to give a wide valve opening.

While I have described my invention above in detail I wish it to be understood that many changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the same.

I claim: 1. A modulator valve, provided with a casing, having a connection to a supply of compressed air, a hydraulically operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the hydraulic connection, an outlet valve member connected to said plunger, 2. plunger valve having an element, provided with a discharge chamber, cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a plunger sleeve fixedly connected to the plunger valve element having an inlet valve thereon, said plunger sleeve having a chamber around the same for receiving the compressed air which balances the plunger sleeve in both directions from the casing and being provided with a chamber within the same communicating with the discharge chamber within the plunger valve element.

2. A modulator valve having a connection to a supply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve ,member connected to said plunger, a plunger valve having an element, provided with a discharge chamber, cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a conical inlet valve connected to the plunger valve, said inlet valve having balancing areas both as to the said supply and said delivery of pressure fluid.

A modulator valve having a connection to a supply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve member connected to said plunger, a plunger valve having an element, provided with a discharge chamber, cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a conical inlet valve, located on a sleeve connected to the plunger valve, said sleeve having balancing areas both as to the said supply and said delivery of pressure fluid.

4. A modulator valve having a connection to a supply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve member connected to said-plunger, a plunger valve having an element cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a conical inlet valve, located on a sleeve connected to the plunger valve, said sleeve having balancing areas both as to the said supply and said delivery of pressure fluid, said plunger valve having an adjusting nut on a screw-threaded stem carried by the plunger valve and passing through the sleeve to adjust the relative positions of the plunger valve and the sleeve.

5. A modulator valve having a connection to a supply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve member connected to said plunger, a plunger valve having an element cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a conical inlet valve, located on a sleeve connected to the plunger valve by an adjustably compressible seal,

a said sleeve having balancing areas both as to the said supply and said delivery of pressure fluid.

6. A modulator valve having a connection to a supply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve member connected to said plunger, a plunger valve having an element cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a conical inlet valve, located on a sleeve connected to the plunger valve by an adjustably compressible seal, said sleeve having balancing areas bothas to the said supply and said delivery of pressure fluid, said plunger valve having an adjustin nut on a screw-threaded stem carried by the plunger valve and passing through the sleeve to adjust the relative positions of the plunger valve and the sleeve.

7. A modulator valve having a connection to a supply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve member connected to said plunger, a plunger valve having an element, provided with a discharge chamber, cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a conical inlet valve, located on a sleeve connected to the plunger valve, said sleeve having balancing areas both as to the said supply and said delivery of pressure fluid, said sleeve having an inlet chamber connected to said first mentioned connection.

8. A modulator valve having a connection to a supply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve memplunger valve, said sleeve having balancing areas both as to the said supply and said delivery of pressure fluid, said sleeve having an inlet chamber connected to said flrst mentioned connection on one side 01' the inlet valve and a delivery chamber on the other side of said inlet valve.

9. A modulator valve having a connection to asupply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve member connected to said plunger, a plunger valve having an element cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a conical inlet valve, located on a sleeve connected to the plunger valve, said sleeve having balancing areas both as to the said supply and said delivery of pressure fluid. said sleeve having a piston head connected internally to the delivery connection.

10. A modulator valve having a connection to a supply of pressure fluid, a fluid operated connection for operating the valve, a plunger, having a cylinder, operated from the fluid connection, a delivery connection for supplying pressure fluid to perform work, an outlet valve member connected to said plunger. a plunger valve hav- 6 ing an element cooperating with the outlet valve member to control the exhaust, and a conical inlet valve, located on a sleeve connected to the plunger valve, said sleeve having balancing areas both as to the said supply and said delivery 01' pressure fluid, said plunger valve having: an adjusting nut on a screw-threaded stem carried by the plunger valve and passing through the sleeve to adjust the relative positions of the plunger valve and the sleeve, said sleeve having a piston head connected internally to the delivery connection.

EDWARD A. ROCKWELL.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 721,499 Brennan Feb. 24, 1903 948,649 Koelkebeck Feb. 8, 1910 1,586,111 Miller Dec. 15, 1925 1,962,857 Cash June 12, 1934 1,991,902 Lloyd Feb. 19, 1935 2,185,001 Meyer July 4, 1939 2,278,418 Rockwell Mar. 17, 1942 2,352,857 Almond June 2'1, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 448,165 Great Britain Feb. 24, 1936 

